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= THE GLASS FACTORY. =
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###@£@*~,. SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. AND A GIFT SHOP. .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... CONSIDERED POOR. .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... SOME ARE SHATTERED. ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... == ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. == == ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. ~~~~~~~ = = ~~~~~~~ .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. == == ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... == ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... LIT FROM BEHIND. ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. == .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. == == ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... ~~~~~~~ = = ~~~~~~~ ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... == == ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... == .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... FLOOR. ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... BECOME STILL. ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. == ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. == == .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. ~~~~~~~ = = ~~~~~~~ ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... == == ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... == ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. .....,~*@£
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
#@£@*~,... SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ...,~*@£@#
##@£@*~,.. THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ..,~*@£@##
###@£@*~,. GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND .,~*@£@###
##@£@*~,.. I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ..,~*@£@##
#@£@*~,... THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ...,~*@£@#
@£@*~,.... ....,~*@£@
£@*~,..... I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. .....,~*@£
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